Houston, TX — March 11, 2026
ILC Dover, an Ingersoll Rand business, is advancing the next generation of modular life support systems for human spaceflight, backed by up to $4.49 million in funding from the Texas Space Commission’s SEARF Trust grant program. The state investment supports Tex-PLSS, a future-ready spacesuit life-support solution being developed at ILC Dover’s Houston facility to power safe, sustainable extravehicular activity (EVA) across emerging commercial and government space missions.
ILC Dover’s Houston facility is focused on advancing emerging spaceflight technologies and providing workforce training to support safe, future-ready extravehicular activity (EVA). Tex-PLSS’s key advantage lies in its adaptable design, enabling early certification while supporting future technology upgrades as needed, reducing obsolescence risk and advancing sustained EVA capabilities.
“Tex-PLSS represents the next generation of mission-ready life support systems and we’re proud to develop it in Texas,” said Rob Reed, President of Aerospace & Defense Solutions, ILC Dover. “This award is a testament to the strength of our team and our vision for sustainable, high-performance human spaceflight solutions.”
As the Tex-PLSS project moves forward, it is expected to promote new high-skill jobs in engineering, manufacturing, and testing locally in Houston. This growth further establishes Texas’s role as a national leader in commercial space, expands the local aerospace supply chain, and attracts investment in advanced space systems.
As Tex-PLSS development advances, ILC Dover is expanding high-skill roles in engineering, manufacturing, and testing at its Houston facility. This investment not only strengthens Texas’s position as a national hub for commercial space innovation, but it also supports the infrastructure needed for next-generation missions, from low Earth orbit to the lunar surface. Tex-PLSS is designed to support future Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destinations (CLDs) platforms and Artemis-class missions, building a path toward sustained human presence beyond Earth. Tex-PLSS is part of a larger effort to build the systems that will power the future of human spaceflight.
